A new filling that hurts when you bite is usually sitting slightly high, and adjusting it takes minutes.
When a filling stands proud of your bite, that tooth absorbs every closing force first, bruising the ligament around its root until biting hurts sharply. The dentist marks your bite and polishes the high point down; no anaesthetic, no drilling. Mild sensitivity to cold and pressure is normal after a filling and should fade within a few weeks; NHS guidance says to contact the clinic if it has not settled within 4 weeks. Pain that throbs on its own, lingers after cold, or wakes you at night points to the nerve, and a cracked or loose old filling can hurt on biting too.
What to do
Common questions
Why does my filling hurt when I bite?
The most common reason is a filling that sits a fraction too high, so that tooth takes the first and hardest hit every time you close. That repeated pounding bruises the ligament holding the tooth, and biting becomes sharply uncomfortable. The fix is quick: the dentist checks your bite with marking paper and polishes the high spot down, usually in minutes, with no injection needed. Some sensitivity to cold and pressure is also normal for the first days to weeks after a filling; NHS guidance says it should resolve within a few weeks and you should contact the clinic if it has not settled within 4 weeks. The patterns that mean more than a high bite: spontaneous throbbing, pain waking you at night, lingering pain after cold drinks, or swelling, which can mean the decay was deeper than expected and the nerve is struggling. A cracked filling or a loose old filling can hurt on biting too. The NHS says to see a dentist for toothache with pain when you bite rather than managing it with painkillers, so book the adjustment instead of chewing on the other side for months.